The device of the instant application relates generally to the field of hygienic devices, and more specifically to a miniature bidet to be used in conjunction with bathroom facilities.
The personal hygiene device known as the bidet is well known and utilized in other parts of the world, notably Europe. Although often known as a feminine hygiene device, the bidet is particularly well adapted for the cleansing of the rectal area as well as the genital area. For those who suffer with hemorrhoids or similar rectal tissue irritations, the conventional means of cleansing the rectal area, i.e., using tissue paper, can be excruciatingly painful. Furthermore, the well controlled and directed spray from a bidet provides a superior cleansing method and a more sanitary technique than the conventional tissue. Also, the gentle spray from the bidet allows thorough cleansing with maximum comfort. Therefore, it should be easily understood that a bidet provides an advantageous alternative to conventional methods for personal hygiene cleansing, not only for those with medical problems, but also for the public at large.
However, there are a number of problems associated with the installation and use of the bidet devices, which are quite prolific in the prior art. The following citations are the prior art of which applicant is aware that would appear to be germane to the patent process:
L. L. Farley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,818,388. PA1 C. H. Berger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,066. PA1 Colucci, U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,407. PA1 Doran, U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,481. PA1 DiGlacomo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,742. PA1 Butterfield, U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,594. PA1 Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,402. PA1 Bader, et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,754.
The problem of installation is a major disadvantage in bidet apparatus designed to be retrofitted to be used in conjunction with conventional-type toilet facilities. It is often necessary in prior art devices to make complex adjustments to the plumbing in order to accommodate the bidet. For example, the patents to Colucci and DiGlacomo require intensive modifications to existing plumbing in order to install the devices according to those patents.
A further disadvantage with prior art devices exists in adjusting the direction, velocity, and temperature of the spray emanating from the bidet. In order to be completely effective the spray from the bidet must thoroughly cleanse the target area, which can only be accomplished by manipulating the spray head appropriately. Thus devices with unidirectional spray or minimal adjustment are inherently inferior, because they will not accomplish the required task of a thorough cleansing. For example, the patents to Farley, Miller, Bader, et. al., Butterfield, and Berger are all limited in maneuverability due to the structure and location of the bidet nozzle, which is severely limited in range and direction and often requires complex manipulation of the structural members of the device in order to address the problem. Furthermore, many of the devices just cited do not provide for adjustment of the velocity or the temperature of the spray, which is essential to the comfortable and efficient functioning of the device.
A further problem associated with many prior art bidet devices is the sanitary conditions of the device itself. If the bidet remains inside the toilet bowl, whether or not it is retracted to a storage position therein, it is subject to the contamination by the bio-organisms and/or chemicals contained therein. This situation may present a problem of infection or irritation to the user. For example, the patents to Butterfield, Miller, and Berger all provide bidets that are installed within the confines of the toilet bowl, thus having the attendant problems hereinabove delineated.
The remaining references further delineate the state-of-the-art as known to the applicant.
Therefore there exists a strong-felt yet unfulfilled need for the device according to the instant application which provides a mini-bidet unit that effectively overcomes prior art disadvantages since it is easily installed, hand-held so that the spray can be precisely directed, and further provides a means to adjust the water temperature of the spray. This is accomplished by tapping into the tubes beneath the bathroom sink which lead from the water supply shut-off valves to the faucet. The self-tapping saddle valves used permit hot and cold water to be mixed in proper proportion so that water temperature at the bidet is comfortably warm. The self-tapping connectors are operatively associated with flexible conduits which supply the bidet unit itself, which comprises a small hand-held housing stored alongside the toilet bowl in an appropriate holder, the hand-held housing and the spray nozzle associated therewith being manipulated by the user at the appropriate time. Depressing a button on the top of the housing opens a valve which allows the warm water to be sprayed from the nozzle area. After the user is finished the bidet unit is returned to its holder. Thus the problem associated with installation of the bidet unit is greatly reduced due to the fact that the device according to the instant application can be readily installed to existing plumbing conduits with very little effort. Furthermore, the problems associated with the direction, velocity, and temperature of the spray itself are eliminated by the instant device since the unit is hand-held and the velocity of the spray is controlled by the amount the button on the top of the housing is depressed.
The possible sanitary problem noted above is greatly alleviated by the instant device, since its storage position is outside the toilet bowl itself thereby distancing the unit from any possible contamination from extended placement inside the toilet bowl itself. Furthermore, the instant device is self-cleansing due to the fluid passing therethrough.